Exporters and traders of walnuts from Jammu and Kashmir, India’s major walnut growing region, have claimed that imports of the premium nut, particularly from Chile, were under-invoiced in order to avoid the 100% import duty imposed to protect local producers.
The J&K Walnut Exporters’ Association and the Birpur Small Scale Industries Association stated that the Centre’s well-intentioned move of imposing a 100% import duty on walnuts to protect local producers had not worked due to extensive under-invoicing.
“The massive import of undervalued walnuts into Indian markets has smashed and depressed local walnut prices.” “As the prices of local produce fall, the livelihood of the population involved in walnut cultivation suffers,” the petitions stated.